The present invention generally relates to a device for dependently supporting potted plants and particularly includes means for indicating the moisture content of the potted plants dependently supported thereby. In accordance with the present invention, one need only glance at the device so as to quickly ascertain whether the potted plant is in need of watering thereby obviating any special equipment for determining the moisture content of the potted plant and, particularly, the soil in which the potted plant is located.
Various attempts have been previously made for an implement which will dependently support a potted plant and, moreover, will provide some form of visual indication of the moisture content of the dependently supported potted plant. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,625 to Loeb discloses a hanging plant device having a body member in which a lower hook is slideably reciprocally moveable. A spring is provided in operative association with the lower hook so as to provide the necessary biasing tension thereagainst. Additionally, a threaded adjustment member is provided in accordance with the Loeb device so as to "zero" the visual indication means. According to Loeb, the visual indication of the moisture content in the soil of the plant's container is achieved by providing integral members 20 which are slideably received in slots in the device body. The members 20 are therefore capable of registering with indicia on the exterior of the body to indicate the moisture content in the soil of the plant's container. Thus, as the moisture content becomes greater, the hook member will be downwardly displaced thereby responsively slideably moving the indicating members 20 downwardly and registering them beside the appropriate moisture-indicating indicia. Of course, upon the moisture content of the plant becoming less, the reverse slideable operation of indicating members 20 will be effected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,343 to Espy et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,619 to Espy each disclose a hanging plant device having a linear to rotary motion converter in the form of spiral 40a. In Espy et al '343, the spiral 40a is axially integral with rod 12 which includes projection 13 which serves as an indicator when the plant is in a dry condition. Espy '619 is similar to Espy et al '343 in that a linear to rotary motion converter in the form of a spiral 21 is provided. A pointer 32 is operatively associated with spiral 21 so as to be registrable with indicia or moisture-indicating graduations 30 on slot 31 in which pointer 32 is slideably moveable in response to vertical linear displacement of shaft 21.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,579 to Gallow discloses a moisture gauge for hanging a potted plant which generally comprises a U-shaped spring element including a spring coil and a pair of approximately parallel arms extending from the spring coil and shaped to provide notches opposite one another at spaced intervals therealong. One of the arms terminates in an indicator while the other arm includes a cross-wise extension providing a moisture-indicating scale. In accordance with Gallow, a potted plant is dependently supported on one of the lower notches of the lower arm while its opposite corresponding notch of the upper arm is fixedly attached to a support member. Accordingly, the notches serve to extend the indicator as accurately as possible to the fully watered position.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,190,632 to Collette discloses a device for indicating the amount of water in a pail. The pail is dependently supported on the upper arm of a generally U-shaped spring member, the terminal end of which is connected to a pivotal indicator. Accordingly, the upper arm of the U-shaped spring member responsively effects transverse pivotal movement of the indicator so as to provide an indication of the liquid level in the pail.
As will become apparent from the discussion which follows, the present invention provides a novel advance over prior attempts at providing visual moisture-indicating means for dependently supporting potted plants. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an aesthetically pleasing device which dependently supports potted plants, for example, and moreover, lends itself to quick viewing so as to ascertain the moisture content of the potted plant.
One of the problems associated with the above-identified prior hanging plant device proposals is that they operate upon the principle of viewing moisture-indicating indicia with which is registered a moveable element. In accordance with the present invention, however, opposing arms of a flexible indicator will either be displaced in an upward "V" fashion so as to indicate that the plant contains sufficient moisture or will be displaced in an "inverted V" fashion which will indicate that the potted plant is in a dry condition or is in need of moisture. Thus, the indicator member in accordance with the present invention will visually resemble the qualities of vegetation when they have sufficient moisture. That is, the vegetation will either be upwardly turned when sufficient moisture is present or will be wilted or downwardly turned when moisture is absent.
The present invention generally includes a body member in which is housed a slideable and reciprocally moveable plant supporting member. The body is fixedly supported to a rigid support member (such as the ceiling, hanging plant bracket or the like) while the plant support member dependently supports the potted plant thereon. The plant support member is reciprocally moveable relative to the housing and is attached to the visual indicator at the upper end thereof. The body defines opposing openings, each of which includes upper and lower bearing edges, the purpose of which will be described in more detail below. The visual indicator in accordance with the present invention is preferably constructed of a flexible, shape-retaining material such as plastic, light gauge metal or the like.
The plant support member is biased in an upward direction by suitable means such as, a compression spring, or the like. Thus, when the potted plant contains sufficient moisture, the added weight of such moisture will cause the plant support member to be downwardly displaced (e.g. so that the compression spring is at least partially compressed) and thus responsively deflect the visual indicator so that a portion thereof bears against the lower bearing edges of each of the opposed openings in the body housing. This functioning will deflect or displace the ends of the visual indicator which extend beyond the external periphery of the housing so as to effect a general V-shape of the visual indicator. Conversely, when the moisture content in the potted plant is depleted, the weight or force exerted upon the biasing spring will become less and thus the force of the spring will cause the plant support member to be upwardly displaced thereby bringing a portion of the visual indicator into bearing relationship with the upper bearing edges of the opposed openings in the housing thereby responsively deflecting the ends of the visual indicator extending beyond the external periphery of the housing into an "inverted V" position.
Means are also provided in accordance with the present invention so as to "zero" the visual indicator so as to provide a normal or benchmark moisture indication for any plant associated therewith and, moreover, to compensate for the additional weight caused by growth which the potted plant will hopefully experience.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more clear to the reader after careful consideration is given to the detailed disclosure thereof which follows.